The Legislative Branch
Representative body Congress Law-making body
Creating a Bi-Cameral Legislature Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Connecticut Compromise
Differences Between The Chambers HOUSE SENATE Minimum age 25 years 30 years U.S. Citizenship At least 7 years At least 9 years Length of term 2 years 6 years Number per state Depends on population: 1 per 30,000 in 1789 1 per 690,000 today 2 per state Constituency Tends to be local Both local and national
Goals of Congressmen Members of Congress are faced with three primary goals: Getting elected Achieving influence in Congress Making good public policy
President The president is elected every four years by the Electoral College House The entire House is elected every two years by voters within each congressional district Senate 1/3 of the Senate is elected every two years by voters within each state 0 4 8 12 16 20 24 Presidential election years draw in higher turnout. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 Midterm congressional elections have lower rates of voter turnout. 0 6 12 18 24 2 8 14 20 4 10 16 22
President The president is elected every four years by the Electoral College House The entire House is elected every two years by voters within each congressional district Senate 1/3 of the Senate is elected every two years by voters within each state Holding elections in this way 0 4 8 12 using 16 different 20 timetables 24 and different constituencies separates the electoral fortunes of members of Congress from one another. 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24 0 6 12 18 24 2 8 14 20 4 10 16 22
House of Representatives Number of representatives: 435 Speaker of the House (Head of the House of Reps.) Decides the committees each member will serve on Decides the order in which bills will be heard
Senate Number of Senators: 100 Head of the Senate: U.S. Vice President Day to day head of Senate: President Pro Tempore Decides committee members and the order bills are debated.
Senate Special Powers Approves all treaties Approves all appointments Chooses the Vice President in an Electoral College tie Acts as the jury in all trials of impeachment
Congress Both houses. Must keep a Journal: The Congressional Record Must hold sessions at the same time: Sessions begin January 3 rd each year Must have a quorum to do business: 51% of members present on the floor
Congress Both houses make their own rules for behavior and punishments Censure: formally reprimand, written in the record Fines and penalties may be set for some offenses Expulsion: members with gross misconduct may be thrown out of office (Can that really happen???)
Compensation & Privileges Salary $147,000 per year Medical and dental benefits Free office, parking, and trips to home state Staff budget Tax break on second home Franking privilege- free postage on all mail to constituents
Compensation & Privileges Immunity or legal protection: Cannot be sued of anything they say or write while carrying out their duties Cannot be arrested for minor offenses while Congress is in session May not hold in other political office at the same time
Congressional Powers Raise and collect taxes Borrow money Regulate commerce Set laws for Naturalization and Bankruptcy Coin Money Punish counterfeiting Post office Copyrights and patents Set up courts Declare war Establish the military and National guard Make rules and allot funds for the military and National guard Punish pirates Run Washington D.C. and all federal property Elastic clause- implied power
Clauses The necessary and proper clause gives Congress the power to make laws necessary and proper to carry out the delegated duties Also known as the elastic clause it stretches the power given Congress
Denied Powers of Congress Cannot suspend the writ of Habeas Corpus- must show cause for holding a suspect except in wartime No ex post facto law- cannot punish a person for an act committed before there was a law against it. No direct tax- the 16 th amendment allows income tax No tax on exports All states must be treated the same Congress must approve all expenditures of the President through laws